Space Lanes

How did Friday go? Is the crew of the Bottom Line in one piece or did we go down in a hail of blaster fire? Or was it just Sal Novaks who got thrown in the sarlac pit? Is someone up for writing a session report?

3 Responses to “Space Lanes”

We picked up the action as our heroes sped away on a stolen air-barge from Warehouse 8 (or what it Warehouse 5?) pursued by a host of Battledroids(TM) also mounted on air barges. Cue laz-bolts and thwipp-thwipp-thwipp sfx.

Meanwhile Spex and Novak are seprated from the group and are seen fleeing (yes, fleeing) in the opposite direction.

Now begins the pod race – sorry, air-chase – through the lung-blackening smog of Wayland’s light industrial district. Q-BRT, despite showing no previous ability, surprises everyone by being a hugely competent pilot and the party open up a lead over their enemies. The Captain (still pissed) stands on the back of the barge taking pot-shots at the pursuing craft while Niles aims the barge’s less-than-trusty cannon at our foes. Pan rootles around with the wiring to find a bit of extra power from somewhere and the ship speeds on.

Meanwhile, Q-BRT patches himself into the planet’s Geo-Sat system and navigates via some Google-Earth style uplink. Sadly, this also patches him into the planet’s 24 hour rolling news eye-in-the-sky comm-feed and we’re all treated to a constant highly-excitable narrative of our exploits.

Pan tries to take over the enemy droid’s communications systems and disorient them with static but the attempt fails spectacularly and we end up getting rick-rolled.

The power-boost now begins to fade and the air-barge starts to lose speed. Pan and the Cap’n take hits from the closing droids and all starts to look bleak. Then Niles downs one of the enemy craft with the las-cannon and the Captain does for the other with his blaster.

Free at last, Q-BRT pilots the team to the command centre where the droid air-barges had come from and where Somethingsomething Ash is believed to be holed up. This is the point at which the party discuss whether to go after Ash, switch sides and join him or visit a zoo. Seriously. Niles regales the team with a memory of visiting a zoo once when he was younger. They only had one animal exhibit. A small dog. It was a shitzu.

After some debate the party decide to press on, and stay loyal to lump o’lard Nagan Jarthar. There are two apparent entrances to the command centre; a droid-patrolled front doorway and an unguarded loading dock to the rear. Naturally our party land by the front door and march up to the lady behind the desk. As they approach, Q-BRT, hacks into the woman’s Outlook diary system and inserts a bogus appointment with Somethingsomething Ash – pushed for time, he sweeps a set of key-strokes before the woman notices. She is unable to find an appointment for a Mr Jarthar but can find one for a Mr Qwertyuiop.

Mr Ash will see you now.

Ushered into a room behind reception, the party fail to raise an eyebrow when the blast doors at either end of the room hiss shut. There is little time to leaf through up the complementary copies of Droid-Now on the table before Ash makes his cyborg-y appearance.

Ash indulges in some absolutely essential gloating and monologuing; variously impugning the party’s skills, tactics and employer. Stilted efforts at diplomacy fail badly (but it’s all for the best) and the inevitable gun-fight breaks out. Niles buzz-knucks him (or at least the wall really close to his head) while Cordonna blasts away. Ash proves to be possessed of lightning reflexes and ninja-like skills, dodging this way and that whilst starting to deploy some Robo-Cop styled shoulder mounted rockets/guns in thigh cases type weaponry. Q-BRT does his digital best to interfere with Ash’s cybertronics and causes some pretty sparks while Pan busies himself creating an impromptu Grav-Mag field which also fails to work. Finally, Cap’n takes charge and using all the tactical nous at his disposal blasts a Freakin’ Massive Hole in Ash’s head.

The Cyborg is defeated, celebrations are about to break out until someone remembers that Nagan Jarthar will pay more for Ash alive than dead. Q-BRT and Pan get to work and with the help of a Big Hat to hide the Big Hole are able to reanimate Ash as an automaton. To give the creation some semblance of verisimilitude the party programme it to say “Curse You, Nagan Jarthar!”, “I’ll never tell you” and (something else I’ve forgotten) randomly when questioned. With their “captive” the party speed back to Nagan Jarthar’s palace and are royally entertained by the Big Man. Amazingly, the Automaton holds his own in several conversations during the celebratory meal and the party pick up their 250 cred – round discs with red traingles – reward (which on reflection doesn’t sound like much). Fearing that their ruse might be discovered at any moment – seriously, a firm shove would probably have sent his head toppling – the party decline the offer of hospitality for the night and the chance for a few more games of Space Tiles! (TM) and head back to the now repaired Bottom Line and make for planetary escape in double-quick time.

As the party leave Wayland orbit, a strangled voice crackles over the intercom “Dead?, Ash? Where are theyyyyyyyy!!!!!” The team have made a life-long friend on Wayland.

Thanks to Jules for the comprehensive write-up and to everyone for playing.

Pro-Syndic Ash got what he deserved and the characters add another world to the list of those they can’t visit again.

If we play again I look forward to hearing in what profligate, probably illegal and possibly depraved way the characters blew their space credits. At the high stakes space tiles tables? On a weekend of a lifetime recalibrating the Bottom Line’s flux capacitiors? On an oil bath and a new motherboard? On court fees following a celebratory binge?